Month: January 2024

A Message from Pastor Katie

Cheri Simonet
Thank you

Dear members and friends of First Presbyterian:

My heart is full to overflowing. I cannot thank you enough for all the love and care you have shown to me over the last three weeks since the sudden and unexpected death of my beloved mom in Texas. I can’t imagine what those without a family of faith like this one do in such difficult times. To those who stepped up to fill in for me in leading Bible study, preaching the two Sundays I was away, and just managing the day-to-day, to those who sent cards and meals and gifts to help us with travel expenses and a memorial, and most especially to all who held us in prayer during this time, I am deeply grateful. My mom would have loved you just as I do. I’m only sorry she and my dad weren’t able to get here to meet you in person before she went on to her heavenly home. But she was often with us in worship, participating on the livestream and thereby extending this family of faith.

With love in Christ,

Katie   

Ash Wednesday 2024

Cheri Simonet
Ash Wednesday

February 14, 2024

What are you doing for Valentine’s Day this year? Want to avoid the crowded restaurants and skip the overpriced greeting cards?

Here’s a completely different option: Wednesday, February 14th is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is the forty days (not including Sundays) leading up to Easter, and is a time set aside in the church year to reflect on our Christian walk.

An Ash Wednesday worship service will be held virtually via our Facebook Livestream and in person at 6:30pm on February 14th in the Sanctuary, and features candlelight, scripture, contemplative music and the imposition of ashes on each person’s forehead as a reminder of our own mortality. We wear ashes not to brag about our humility or piety, but to mark ourselves as part of the community of faith and recognize how far we are from God’s will for us. While some feel like this is primarily a Roman Catholic practice, the distribution of ashes has been a part of Protestant and Reformed traditions for many years.

Please come join in the family of faith as we begin our Lenten journey together.

Scout Sunday

Cheri Simonet
Scouts of America Logo

February 4, 2024

Calling all scouts: young, old, and in-between!

The first Sunday of February is set aside as a day to lift up and celebrate scouting in our midst.

We have invited the scout troop who meet in our facility to join us for worship at 10am and we will recognize them and offer a blessing. We also hope to include others in our congregation who are currently involved or have been involved in the past in the Scouts program.

If you were or are a Scout, please wear your shirt or other garb and help us in this celebration.

Souper Bowl of Caring 2024

Cheri Simonet
Souper Bowl of Caring

February 11, 2024

As Super Bowl Sunday approaches that means it’s time for our annual Souper Bowl of Caring which takes place on Sunday, February 11th, following our 10am worship service in Banner Hall.

Since 1990, close to $193 million has been reported donated to local food charities across all fifty states with over 305,000 unique groups participating. Every dollar donated to Souper Bowl of Caring creates over $18 for food charities. The cause unites all communities to Tackle Hunger.

Our #FirstPresGB Souper Bowl of Caring is led by the Christian Education Committee along with Youth Group and is held annually on Super Bowl Sunday. The event is meant to bring an awareness to hunger and to curb hunger through soup. The cost will be $5 per person and there will be 8 different soup stations for people to experience. Each soup sampler will have a chance to vote and judge our Souper Bowl winner. Proceeds from the event will go toward the Presbyterian Pantry.

We invite each person to bring a muffin tin to hold the soup samples. (One muffin tin per person.) Disposable cups will be available to place in your muffin tin to avoid the mess that we experienced last year. You will be required to try all the soups but you can only vote for one. The Souper Bowl awardee will receive the cherished Golden Ladle that’s passed on year after year to the awarded winner. The current Golden Ladle holder from our 2023 Souper Bowl of Caring is Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges for her Christmas Corn Chowder.

There’s no need to sign up—ALL are welcome—we hope to see you there!

Lenten Theme: Wandering Heart—Figuring Out Faith with Peter

Cheri Simonet
Lent 2024 - Wandering Heart

The Sundays of Lent will carry a special theme this year: Wandering Heart—Figuring Out Faith with Peter. We will focus on the life and faith of one of Jesus’ most famous disciples. In Peter, we see a person who is both steadfast and unsteady, a dear friend and a betrayer, a follower and a wanderer. In Peter, we often see ourselves. By following Peter’s journey, we watch the story of Jesus unfold through the eyes of a very normal human trying to figure it all out—just like us.

One element of our worship practice will be a deep dive into hymn #475 “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” As we look at Peter’s faith journey, the lyrics of this hymn sound in our hearts. It’s as if Peter himself wrote this song, though we know he did not. Like many of us, Peter has a wandering heart. His journey is not polished, or linear, or perfect, but he is always tethered to the love of God.

Together through this season, we intend to affirm that faith is a constant journey of steadfast pursuit, one that ebbs and flows. We will focus on the ways Peter keeps going: he drops his nets, he walks on water, he runs to the empty tomb, he swims to the shore to meet the risen Christ. He keeps searching and yearning and loving, even after missteps or mistakes.

Ultimately, in Peter’s story, we are reminded that God loves imperfect people—in fact, time and again, that’s precisely who God claims and calls.

Through this series, we will look for ourselves in the stepping stones of Peter’s story. We will reflect on the stages of our own faith journeys as well as who and what has shaped us along the way. As we wander, let us tune our hearts to sing God’s grace.

An Evening in the Highlands

Cheri Simonet
An Evening in the Highlands

Join First United Presbyterian Church of De Pere on Saturday, February 17, at 5:30pm for a one-of-a-kind event – “An Evening in the Highlands” at the Green Bay Distillery.

It’ll be a very special evening celebrating the music, poetry, and dance of Scotland and Ireland. Special entertainment will include The Irish Heritage Dancers and The Clan Donald Pipe Band as well as trivia, games, haggis, raffles, and much more. 

Dinner will include your choice of either salmon with dill sauce or Steak Stew Puff Pastry along with a baked potato and neeps (turnips), plus Scottish Shortbread and Tablet (sugary confection) for dessert. There will be an optional Scotch Tasting session beginning at 4pm. Tickets are on sale NOW through the church office (during business hours) or you can purchase them online below. There are only 150 tickets available, so don’t delay. Cheers! 

Event Ticket Prices: Dinner is $60 per person & Scotch Tasting is $25 per person

Purchase Tickets Online

Annual 2024 Congregational Meeting

Cheri Simonet
Congregational Meeting

February 18, 2024

Sunday, February 18th is an important day in the life of our congregation as we hold our Annual Congregational Meeting to review 2023 and look forward to plans and dreams for 2024.

The annual report, available in print and digitally by February 11, will include reports of committees, statistics, and financials including the approved budget for 2024. As a congregation we will vote on changes in the terms of call for our Pastor.

The meeting will take place immediately following the 10:00 am worship service in the Sanctuary, and all members are encouraged to attend. Please note that while our worship service will be livestreamed as usual, we apologize that we cannot livestream the Annual Meeting due to the confidentiality of certain portions of the meeting.

If you cannot be with us in person, feel free to contact any member of the Session with any questions or concerns you may have.

Augusta Jeffrey 2024 Nominations Are Now Being Accepted

Cheri Simonet
Augusta W. Jeffrey Rcognition Award

Beginning February 1st thru February 29th

The Augusta Jeffrey recognition award is presented each year to a member of the congregation for outstanding volunteer efforts within the church and through its programs.

Nominations for 2024 are now being accepted throughout the month of February.

You may nominate more than one person. To be accepted for consideration, the nomination form must be filled out completely.

During the first week of March, nomination forms will be reviewed and a winner will be selected.

Winners of the Augusta Jeffrey Award designate an area of ministry in which the church is engaged that they choose to receive a financial boost.

Nominations forms can be completed and submitted online below.

Submit 2024 Augusta Jeffrey Nomination

Or, if you’d rather submit the nomination(s) offline, please complete 2024 Nomination Form that’s located in the back of the Sanctuary or you may download it below and return to the office at 200 S. Ashland Avenue, 54303 before February 29th.

Download Offline 2024 Augusta Jeffrey Nomination Form

Online Giving

Cheri Simonet
Online Giving

We want to start by expressing gratitude for your unwavering support and generosity towards our church. Your contributions have been essential to our ability to continue carrying out our mission and serving the needs of our community.

We also want to take this opportunity to introduce our new e-giving platform, Vanco. This platform provides a secure and user-friendly way to give to our church online, and we are confident that it will make giving more convenient for many members of our congregation.

You can set up your account and give now by visiting our Give Now page or scan the above QR code with your smart phone.

Whether you choose to give online or in person, your support is vital to the continued success of our church community. We are so grateful for your generosity and commitment to our shared mission of Inspiring All to Love and Serve with Christ.

View Online Giving Video Tutorial

View Online Giving Frequently Asked Questions

February 2024 Rundown

Cheri Simonet
Monthly Rundown

Church Chix Socials

The Chix had an amazing social in January when we dined at Greystone and we had 9 Chix that attended. The service was great, the food was fabulous and the conversation was even better! Our February social is planned for Thursday, February 1st at 6pm at White Dog, Local Green Bay Eatery located at 201 S. Broadway Avenue. To RSVP there’s a sign up sheet on the bulletin board or email office@firstpresgreenbay.org.

APCE Conference

During the week of January 22nd Joel attended the Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE) annual event for pastors and educators. The experience was both spiritual and fulfilling. There were a myriad of different classes to choose from, all centered around this year’s theme “Let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift” from Revelation 22. There were worship services, keynote addresses and more. Thank you for making continuing education experiences possible for our staff.

New Ministry Luncheon

The new ministry luncheon on January 29th was well attended and there were a lot of great ideas shared by everyone. Next on the agenda is choosing a name for the group, so stay tuned for that. Beginning February 26th, the group will meet the fourth Monday of each month in Fellowship Hall. All are welcome to join! If you’re able to attend the monthly luncheon, please bring a bag lunch. Desserts will be provided.

Annual Ski Trip

Our annual ski trip the last weekend of January was a great success! There were 31 people in attendance from our congregation and the congregation of First United Presbyterian Church of De Pere. This year Elliott and Max took on the challenge of the Black Diamond hill which has a higher level of difficulty than what they skied last year. The weather was beautiful for a day on the slopes and everyone walked away with no broken bones. Check out our photo gallery!

2024 Ski Trip
2024 Ski Trip
2024 Ski Trip
2024 Ski Trip
2024 Ski Trip
2024 Ski Trip
2024 Ski Trip
2024 Ski Trip
2024 Ski Trip
Annual Ski Trip 2024
Annual Ski Trip 2024

Rundowns will publish with our Connections issue on a monthly or bimonthly basis. To submit rundowns for consideration contact us at communications@firstpresgreenbay.org by the 15th of the month to be included in the following month’s publication. And, as always, we look forward to receiving your Rundown of what’s been Happening Now!